Carolina Floral Family Shares The Secret To Their 50-Year Success

As a young man, Brad Coggins never imagined he’d take over the floral shop his grandmother started in 1956. He went off to college in Charleston, leaving behind Coggins Flowers and his life in Spartanburg, South Carolina, to pursue other opportunities.

Coggins never strayed too far from his floral industry roots, though. In the early 2000s, he started working as a field representative for FTD, which partners with a network of local florists to craft beautiful, same-day deliveries.

For about 15 years, Coggins thrived in this sales role, visiting local floral shops throughout the region and learning about the industry he grew up in from a completely different perspective.

“At FTD, [I was] traveling and seeing all kinds of family-run businesses and florists throughout the Southeast,” he says. “I found that … nobody runs their business the same. There were florists that you could kind of compare in other areas and different markets and say they’re similar [in] branding ... but there's so many different [niches].”

Then, a few years ago, Coggins’ father, who had been running the family business for decades, began a conversation about passing it on to the next generation.

“I always say it's by faith that God led me back,” says Coggins, who officially took over Coggins Flowers with his sister last year and is now celebrating the business’s 50th anniversary as an FTD affiliate.

Becoming A Business Owner During A Pandemic

Coggins assumed ownership of the business as the COVID-19 pandemic was picking up, which proved to be both a challenging and educational experience.

“I've learned a lot in the last year, not just about business but [about] people in general and managing people,” he says.

Though many local businesses struggled to stay afloat in 2020, Coggins Flowers actually saw a large increase in demand for its services at the height of the pandemic.

“The biggest challenge has been keeping up with the amount of business that's coming in,” says Coggins. “People were looking for an opportunity to send something, to have something delivered, because they're not going to a funeral; because they're not going to a birthday; because [they] can't go to the hospital to see the new baby. … We were kind of an outlet for people to be able to send their emotions and send their feelings.”

Coggins’ No. 1 priority throughout the pandemic was ensuring everyone was safe while still keeping the business operational. He achieved this by offering touchless delivery and maintaining communication via multiple digital channels.

“[It was about] making sure that when all this hit, [we could say], ‘Hey, we're still here, we're still open, and we're gonna try to create as safe an environment as possible for you to be able to use us,’” he says.

Success Lies In Being An Adaptable But Purpose-Driven Business

For his fellow business owners, Coggins stressed the importance of finding your purpose and mission. Most businesses that fail do so because they forget their “why,” he says.

“The first thing has to be finding out what problem or issue is it that we want to solve for our customers and for our community,” explains Coggins. “All business comes back to that. We're solving a problem for a community; they have a need. How can we fit in with a solution that will help them?”

While the exact methods of solving that problem might evolve and change over time, a company’s core purpose should remain the same.

“We do what we do to serve our community,” Coggins says of his family’s business. “Our mission statement is built around actually a verse out of the Bible, Romans 12:15 — we want to mourn with those who mourn and rejoice with those who rejoice.”

“That's what we feel is our singular purpose here,” Coggins continues. “Everything we do revolves around that mission of helping our community, to serve that need.”

As he continues to lead his family’s business into the post-pandemic world, Coggins remains inspired by his grandmother and father’s willingness and ability to adapt to new technologies and new ways of doing business while not leaving their original purpose behind.

“My dad was certainly on the forefront in terms of this market here [in] South Carolina of upgrading to new technologies when they were available, [and] not being scared to to take a step forward,” says Coggins. “Twenty to 25 years ago, he saw the writing on the wall [and said], ‘If we're not going to be on a computer ... we're going to be left behind.’ Obviously, the bigger business world had already seen that and was already adapting, but it's harder for mom-and-pop shops to see that sometimes [and] to adapt quickly.”

Most importantly, Coggins feels honored that local customers choose Coggins Flowers to express important sentiments and celebrate life’s special occasions.

“We're humbled by the opportunity to be able to do that,” he says. “We just want to keep having that attitude to serve the community in any facet we can.”

Learn more about Coggins Flowers and its partnership with FTD Flowers.